


Thank God for Good Godfathers

by HannaHazzard



Series: Thank God for Good Godfathers [1]
Category: Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Child Abuse, Fluff, Gen, Howard is a crappy father, Kid Fic, Steve's a cool Godfather, Tony's not a brat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-22
Updated: 2012-08-26
Packaged: 2017-11-10 12:26:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/466245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannaHazzard/pseuds/HannaHazzard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain America didn't have to spend time as a Capsicle, and was there for Tony's childhood. More importantly, he was Tony's godfather</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, this is my first Avengers fic and, would be called AU, I guess.  
> Don't know why I had the urge to write this, but well, I thought why not.  
> Heads up, english is not my first language, so sorry for mistakes. I do try, but some just seem to sneak in.  
> and Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, sadly

**Thank God For Good Godfathers**

 

**  
**

_"He is a child, Howard!"_

This was the first time little five years (and two days!) old Tony could clearly hear one of the two people talking in the room behind the heavy wooden door.

The boy sat on the highest step of the staircase, directly opposite to the door, waiting for either his father, or his uncle to come out. Because he had been told by Steve to wait upstairs. And he was! Still on the top half of the stairs, so technically upstairs.

And he always does what Uncle Steve says, because he is nice.

He has always time for Tony when he isn't off to safe the world as Captain America, and he tells him stories, and he praised him for the new robot he had built (even though it had fallen apart soon after his presentation), and he gives hugs, and he doesn't turn away from him when he wants to say or show something, and he plays with him… because he's nice.

Absentmindedly his little fingers played the flipper of the stuffed turtle in his arms and kept staring at the door.

Steve had been angry when he went to see his father. The youngest Stark has never seen him angry before and it scared him a bit.

Behind him, Tony heard a slight creak and he turned his head reluctantly away to see his mother coming towards the stairs.

Marie gave him a smile, but he could see her eyes are slightly glassy and she still carried a glass with red liquor, wine he knew, in her hand. He knew that stuff, and knew that she acts funny when she drinks it, so he just smiled back.

Her long fingers felt a bit cold as her hand stroked through his hair while she passed, and Tony watched as she vanished downstairs around the corner without a word.

She didn't seem to notice his bruised eye.

Tony had made his dad very angry yesterday.

Excited about the fact the he had been able to fix his broken robot, the one that fell apart very soon after he had built it, he'd run to show it to his father.

Unfortunately, Howard hadn't been in his work room anymore as expected, but already on his way out. That's why Tony run into him before he could slow down and Howard, startled by the collision, dropped whatever it was he had been working on for a rather long time.

His robot, on the floor as well, forgotten, the boy had looked on the floor at the broken project of his father in shock, when he lifted his eyes again, his father yelled at him and then his hand must have slipped, because the next thing Tony knew he sat on ground, the left side of his face stung and his father angrily picked up his things and went back the way he had come from.

That had never happened before. He gets yelled at, sure, but never had he gotten hurt like that. With tears in his eyes he'd gone to his room and stayed there, until Jarvis came the next morning to look for him, worried that the youngest family member hadn't shown himself during the meals or otherwise.

Besides the fact that his eye hadn't hurt that much anymore, except when he touched it or squinted, the butler had fussed over him.

One hour later, Captain America had knocked on his door.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**~Earlier~**

 

The door opened before he could even answer, but his face lit up when he saw who his guest was.

 

“Uncle Steve!” Tony abandoned the train set he was playing with and launched himself at his godfather, knowing that he would be caught.

 

Laughing, Steve swung him up and hugged him tight, minding his strength of course. “Hey buddy.”

 

“Uncle Steve,” the boy exclaimed excitedly, practically bouncing in the soldiers arms “Uncle Steve, I thought you were still away fighting the bad guys. I’ve missed you. I drew some pictures with the crayons you gave me. I’ve missed you. Are you going to stay long? I’ve missed you. Will you do something fun with me before you leave again? I—“

 

“Whoa whoa, slow down Tony,” the blond laughed and sat down on Tony’s bed, the young one still tightly attached to him, “Sport, you’re making my ears ring talking so fast.” Steve stroked one hand over the boys back to calm him and got an immediate response when Tony slumped against him, arms hanging around his neck and head came to rest on his shoulder.

 

“I’ve missed you.” Tony mumbled again and the Soldier couldn’t help the affectionate smile.

 

“I’ve missed you, too, Tony.”

 

And he really had. Steve loved his work as Captain America, he really did. But with all the fighting and violence that comes with the job, it is nice to spend time with his active, bright and exuberant little godson.

 

Back then, Howard and him had been very good friends. Talked a lot, took missions together and everything. But somehow, since the end of the war that had changed.

Now they disagreed more often then not, argued and spent more time being angry at each other then getting along.

 

They especially disagreed on the way Howard treated his son.

It has never been the case that that the father mistreated Tony, or abused him in any way, at least not that he noticed (and he _would_ have noticed), but Steve couldn’t overlook the fact that Howard was only interested in his child when he told him to learn something, and never seemed satisfied with anything Tony accomplished. Even though he is so far ahead of other children his age, smart like his father.

 

Otherwise he was just never there. Not like Steve himself, who often travelled around on missions, but just never interested enough in his son’s life to spend some time with him.

Whenever he’s seeing the two of them together, Howard is criticising Tony or ignoring him and Tony is nothing like the expressive boy he is when he’s doing something with Steve, just quiet and reserved.

 

Steve knew he had no real right to scarify the older Stark on his parenting skills, it was the fathers right to raise his son as he sees fit. But damn, Steve took his role as godfather seriously, and he wouldn’t be who he is when he didn’t even try to change Howard’s way.

 

The Soldier just felt bad for the child. His father ignored him mostly and he couldn’t lean on his mother much either, who had developed a drinking habit and seemed often gone in her own world.

That’s why Steve tried to be with the kid as much as possible when he was at home, and of course because he enjoyed the company very much.

 

At least the butler, Jarvis, was keeping an eye out as best as he could. That’s why he got the call only hours after he’d come home from a mission, sooner finished then expected, asking him to come see Tony as soon as he could.

 

It hadn’t taken him long to get dressed and come to the Stark mansion.

 

Now here, he could see why Jarvis had asked for his presence.

It was even less the servants place to intrude in the family business, but Steve had no inhibitions to find out why _his_ godchild had a bruised eye.

 

But first things first.

 

“Ok. So, first, yes. Obviously, I am back. Second, I missed you, too. Great, you have to show me your master pieces. I missed you, too. I don’t know how long I’ll be staying yet. I missed you, too. And of course we’re doing something fun. When are we ever doing something else?” he asked with an obvious faked shocked expression, tickling Tony’s sensitive sides, making him giggle.

 

“Hey, happy belated birthday, buddy. I’m sorry I wasn’t here for your big day. But you understand, don’t you? You are a big boy now after all. Must be what? Fifteen?” he asked trying to sound serious, and jostled the kid in his arms.

 

“No silly,” Tony giggled again, and finally leaned back from the warm shoulder “I’m only five! But look!” he pointed to the train he had been playing with when Steve came in, “Jarvis gave me your present. Thank you! It’s great.” The young Stark exclaimed and promptly hugged again.

 

“I’m glad you like it,” Steve said and patted his back, “and you are welcome.”

 

Yep, Steve could see that Tony liked his present. Tracks were waving trough the whole room, under the bed, everywhere, with professionally built book-tunnels and everything. He wondered for a moment just how many tracks had been with his present, but then he saw that some looked different and he smiled fondly. So Tony had already made himself some more.

 

“Oh, and look what Jarvis gave me!” the boy scrambled from Steve’s lap onto the bed and the soldier watched him pull something from under the pillow, smiling when he saw the stuffed  turtle in the grinning boys hand, with flopping flippers and, which warmed him the most, the Captain America emblem on the shell. “Neat, eh? He said he gave it to me ‘cause he knew how much I missed Cap.” Cap as in the Teddy he had had since his first birthday, which went missing some time ago and was never found again.

 

Steve suspected Howard, even though he didn’t say it outwardly. But all the comments about ‘Tony is too old for this childish toys’ makes him kind of a suspect.

Probably the reason why the turtle’s place was under the pillow, Tony wasn’t stupid after all.

 

“Yes, very neat.” He said und ruffled the boys hair.

 

 “So.” the super soldier began and made himself more comfortable on the way to big bed for such a little kid, scooting back to lean against the headboard. As expected the youngest genius of the house came over at once to sit back on his lap, the turtle still in his arms. “What have you been up to while I was gone, hm?”

 

And that was all it took for the boy to start babbling excitedly about the things he had done and learned, and Steve listened carefully, sadly noting that not once were his parents included in the child adventurous tales.

 

When Tony finally started to slow down with his rambling story, Steve prepared to ask the question that he’d burnt to ask the second he laid eyes upon his godson today.

 

“…and then I finally finished the robot!” the boy said and grinned proudly up to him.

 

“That’s great kiddo. I told you, you could do it with a little more work” Steve praised and tousled his dark hair again.

 

 “Now I have a question, Tones. A very important one. Ok?”

 

His godchild nodded, grinning.

 

“What happened to your eye?”

 

The smile fell instantly from Tony’s face and he looked down on his lap, playing nervously with his turtle. “Nothing.”

 

“Hey now, since when are we not honest with each other, hm?” he asked and smoothed his hand trough Tony’s hair.

 

Tony began to squirm nervously on his lap and Steve wasn’t sure what to make of this. Suddenly the child started to sniff and hiccupped. That was unexpected. Tony almost never cried.

 

“I-I didn’t mean to, Uncle Steve” he looked up with wet eyes. “I just wanted to show him my robot. And then I broke his work. And he got so angry. And I’m _so_ sorry.” The young Stark cried and buried his head in the older man’s chest, who flexed the hand not soothing the boy at his side in silent anger. Even though he’d already suspected something like this, since no bruise like that could come from running into walls or falling, it made him so much more angry to hear it confirmed.

 

“Shh. I know you didn’t.” Steve’s voice was remarkable calm for somebody who wanted to rip someone apart for having the audacity to touch _his godson_. Be it the father or not.

 

He suppressed his anger for the moment in favour of soothing Tony. He wasn’t sure when he saw Tony the last time crying, since he has never been prone to letting tears flow.

 

“Shh, no need to cry, everything is fine, buddy.” He crooned and kept stroking Tony’s hair and back reassuringly. I didn’t take long for Tony to calm down again, but he let his head stay at the safety of his godfathers chest.

 

“Let me see.” Carefully, Steve turned the child’s head up by his chin and took his first real look. Thankfully, it didn’t look too bad, which at least told him that Howard hadn’t delivered a deliberate punch to his son’s eye. “Does it hurt?”

 

Wiping his nose on his sleeve, Tony shook his head. At Steve’s sceptical look he relented, “Just a little, only if I touch it or something, really.”

 

“Alright.” The soldier nodded “Here’s what we do. You stay here a little more with your turtle an-“

 

“Shield.” Tony interrupted.

 

“What?”

 

“Shield. The turtles name.”

 

“Right.” Steve smiled, a little forced. He took Tony from his lap to get up from the bed and put the boy back on it, kneeling in front of him to begin again. “You wait here with Shield and continue to play with your train set, and I will go t-“

 

“No! Please don’t go yet. I’m sorry!” Tony jumped from the bed to latch on to Steve’s neck, throwing his balance for a second. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make Dad mad. Promise.”

 

“Hey, I know. I said it was ok. Would you let me finish, please.” Reassured the Captain. “I won’t _go_. I’ll just leave for a moment to talk to your father, then I’ll be back.” He said, and the choking hold around him loosened a bit.

 

“But your mad.”

 

“I’m not mad.”

 

“You said we don’t lie. You look mad. Are you mad at me?”

 

“Tony.” Steve sighed. “Alright, yes I am mad. But not at you, kid.” He explained and patted the small back. “What happened wasn’t your fault. It was an accident. Really. I’m not angry with you. Alright?”

 

“Alright.” But Tony didn’t let go.

 

“Good. Now, I’ll go talk to your dad for a moment.”

 

“Alright.”

 

“…You’ll have to let go then.” He poked the child’s side softly.

 

“Can I come? I can apologize.” Tony leaned his head back to look at Steve questioningly.

 

“No, Tony. I want to talk To Howard alone for a moment.” He purposefully ignored the last part. In his opinion only one person should apologise. “You wait up here in your room, please.”

 

“But…” Tony looked like he wanted to protest, but a stern look from Captain America was all it took for him to change his mind, “what if I have to go to the toilette?”

 

Rolling his eyes, Steve gently pried the arms from his neck and stood up. “Fine wise guy. Don’t wait in your room, but upstairs, ok? I’m sure you’ll survive the short time up here.” He smiled, ruffled the dark hair once more for good measure and went out to give Howard a piece of his mind.

 

Alone again, Tony plopped back down on the bed, tracing the Captains emblem on Shield’s shell with his finger.

 

He managed for whole two minutes before he run out of his room and to the stairs, where he hesitated.

 

Finally he just sat down on one of the steps, tugged his turtle to his chest, and waited.

 

**~Now~**

 

And he waited loooong. For at least ten minutes, already.

Sadly he couldn’t understand what the adults were saying, besides the one rather loud sentence. Only hollow mumblings muffled by the heavy door.

 

But after a little while longer of boring sitting, the door finally opened, and he perked up when he saw his Uncle Steve coming out again, scowl marring his face as he closed the door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Riiiight…so this took me ridiculously long to write and I’m still not completely happy with the outcome, but since you’ve already had to wait so damn long, I thought better this than nothing^^.  
> Anyway, this is actually all I thought of when I started to write this story, but I thought maybe I’d upload some one shots as well some time, with Tony in different ages.  
> I’ve got some ideas, but if you want to see anything in particular, let me know.  
> Hm, what else can I say? Sorry for mistakes I’ve surely made, reading english is definitely easier than writing it myself :D, and well, every update still feels like my first one, but I hope that will change sometime soon.
> 
> Take care everyone.

Outside the door leading into Howard’s office, he stopped a moment to take a deep, _deep_ calming breath.

 

Sadly, it wouldn’t do to charge in there and knock his old friend out, as much as he wanted to do just that.

 

But while he really, definitely, desperately wanted to do that, it would end in them going against each other more then usual.

Howard wouldn’t just take a punch and say, ‘why yes, I deserved that one’, he was too stubborn for that.

 

Howard was a man with a lot of money and a lot of influence in this world. And while he couldn’t really touch Captain America, man with the plan and connections and fame on his side as well, he could harm Steve Rogers, badly, by not allowing him into his house anymore. By denying him the chance to see his godson.

 

If it came to that, he wouldn’t back down so easily of course, come hell or high water, he wouldn’t be kept from Tony for long, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

 

So he breathed in and out slowly, twice, three time, trying not to think of Tony crying in his shirt, and then went in without bothering to knock.

 

The office, and he used the term largely, looked a mess as always. Notes and books scattered around everywhere, half finished inventions, tools, things he can’t even name. And empty bottles.

So no, office wasn’t the right name, more of an mini lab… with adjoining bar.

 

Stark was sitting behind his desk, hunched over... something, Steve didn’t even care what it was. He looked up to see who his visitor was, and didn’t seem very surprised by the Captains appearance.

 

“Steve,” he gave a polite, disinterested, you-interrupted-me-and-my-work smile, which fell away instantly when he saw the Soldier wasn’t in the best of moods, and his expression morphed into an annoyed one, one hand came up to rub his temple.

 

“Alright, what did I do wrong this time? Let me guess. Anthony? Yes, bets are you are here because of the boy. Right, give me the lecture, so that I may continue here.”

 

Steve could hardly believe how offhandedly Stark was talking about this and he was hard pressed to hold on to his decision not to get rough.

 

He crossed his arms to resist the temptation and gave the scientist his best, disapproving, Captain America gaze.

 

“Let me assure you,” Howard pressed on before the blond super soldier had a chance to start, “it hasn’t been long since I saw him last, so no need to get angry again. I saw him earlier…yesterday” he frowned. “Yes, yes, I saw him yesterday.”

 

Steve frowned, despite his anger. Surly Howard wasn’t that much of a bastard to completely disregard his action. He saw him yesterday, yes, but obviously there was more to it.

It took him a moment to come to the obvious conclusion. The curtains were drawn, Howard was constantly massaging his temple, the empty bottles.

 

“You have been drinking again.” It wasn’t a question, he sounded almost disgusted, definitely disappointed, he heard it himself, he didn’t care.

 

Howard narrowed his eyes then, showing his annoyance more. “Yes Steve, I’ve been drinking a bit. Are you criticizing all my actions now?”

 

“Do you even remember what happened yesterday?” Steve asked in a low voice, ignoring the question, “What happened when you ‘saw’ Tony?”

 

“Of course I do.” The genius scoffed. “The boy broke my project. Do you know how long-”

 

“I don’t care how long!” Steve hissed, finally showing his anger. Fuck the project. “I don’t care for your invention either. The only fact I care about is that you hit. My. Godson!”

 

“I- what?” Stark’s eyes actually widened a bit, but then he raised a brow, showing that he was not intimidated by Steve’s anger. “Don’t be ridicules. I did not hit Anthony. Maybe I bumped into him a bit when I left again. I was angry, and who can blame me? He was told more than once not to run in the house. Now, if he would stop being so childish all the time-“

 

“He _is_ a child, Howard!” Rogers interrupted him for the second time, slamming his hands on the desk. This time Howard actually did flinch a bit. “And don’t you _dare_ blame this on Tony or make this about your damn broken toy.” He breathed angrily and leaned down to Howard’s level. “We are talking about the fact that your son has a black eye. I don’t even want to hear any explanation, because try as I might, I can’t think of anything you could say that would justify your action.”   




 

For the first time in a long time, Howard was at a loss for words. Had he really…hit his son? His mind tried to recall exactly what had happened the day before, but his attention went back to Steve when he spoke again, in a voice he had never heard from him, low and dangerous. He would never admin it, but it actually send a shiver down his spine.

 

“Just let me tell you, this is a fair warning from Captain America, don’t you ever lift your hand against Tony again. _Ever_. Because the next time I will only come as Steve Rogers, angry godfather to Anthony Edward Stark, and I _really_ don’t like bullies.”

 

Howard frowned, straining his aching head to recall the previous day. He remembered walking out of his lab. He had been tired from, well, a long time without sleep, and not to mention the haze from the alcohol, he rolled his eyes to the empty bottles. Then Tony bumping into him and… he had been angry, yes, but had he given his son a black eye? It could have happened.    




 

Steve straightened up to glared down at Howard and saw him deep in thoughts. He contemplated leaving, now that he said his piece, but to be honest he was curious. Usually the genius had always some words of his own, fully off confidence, but now he seemed genuinely confused.

 

His patience was rewarded when Howard looked actually somewhat guilty. It didn’t lessen his displeasure with the man in front of him, but at least that told him that he hadn’t hit Tony with intention.

It was of course still more than concerning that Howard could drive himself so far that he would do something like that and not even remember it, but hopefully, now he would see the error in his way.

 

“I didn’t mean to.” He finally said, actually remorseful, wouldn’t look Steve in the eyes. “If I really…hit him, then I didn’t mean to, and I’m sorry.” Finally, Howard even looked up. He was man enough to admin his mistake here, after all.

 

“It is not me you should apologize to.” Steve wouldn’t let this go yet. Just because Stark felt sorry now, it doesn’t change what happened, and Steve felt to protective of his godson to just let the father off the hook. “Tony thinks it was his fault, he wanted to come too. To apologize. I told him no. You won’t let him take the blame, Howard. It isn’t his to bear.”

 

“Yeah.” Was the only answer he got.

 

I should just go now, Steve thought, but he couldn’t leave it at that.

 

“You know. If you’d just spend more time with him. You would see what a great son you have. He is already so smart, who knows what he could achieve if you taught him your knowledge. Just once in a while spend time with him. That is all Tony wants. To know his father actually cares.”

 

And yeah, he should have left. Now Howard’s face went from remorse to annoyance and defence. Too often they already had this conversation.

 

“Steve we have been over this a thousand times, I just don’t have the time to watch him play around or bother me when I’m working.

All I am doing now, I’m doing for him, he will own the company one day. Why can’t you understand this? I am tired of having to explain this to you over and over.

One day, he’ll thank me.”

 

Steve felt the familiar anger he gets whenever they have this particular argument spark, only adding to the fire already burning today. He looked down at Howard from his position in front of the desk and not for the first time, wonders what went wrong with his friend.

 

“Are you even listening to yourself? He is not supposed to _bother_ you when you are working? You are working all the time, hardly even stopping to eat and sleep. When exactly is he supposed to come to you? He is not even necessarily trying to make you proud, because first of all he wants to get your damn attention!

You really think he will thank you one day? No, Howard. Let me tell you how it will be.”

 

Steve put his hands on the desk and leaned again close to his old friend so he has no other choice but to look him in the eyes or back up, which Steve knows he won’t.

 

“Tony will grow up to be an strong and independent, incredibly smart man, he will make his own accomplishments along the way and if you don’t start to support your son soon, he will do all this in spite of and not because of you.

Most likely he will run your company one day, but why should he be grateful to you, a man who claims to be his father but he hardly knows. All he will remember is that you always put the company, _everything_ , before him.

And one day, he will stop seeking your approval and won’t care for your opinion any longer, and I’ll make sure he will be happy even without it.

You will grow old, Howard, and someday you will crawl out of your lab and notice that you are alone. You had a beautiful family, but if you continue like this, you will end up _alone_. Hopefully I won’t be there to tell you I told you so, because I pray by then I have learned not to care anymore.”

He straightened up, not in the mood anymore to continue their old debate. “Open your eyes, Howard. Before it’s too late.”

 

With that he finally made his way to the door, only stopping for one last moment. “By the way, I’ll be taking Tony with me, I am at least a week on leave. I’m only telling you this out of politeness, not because I think you’ll actually notice his absence.” He waited another beat to see if there was any protest, and when Howard remained silent he went out.

 

Howard kept staring at the closed door, thinking over the word thrown against his head.

 

***

 

Steve shut the door behind him, closed his eyes and, just like the last time he stood here, he had to take a deep, calming breath. One would think he could actually relax for the short time he was able to spend at home.

 

“Uncle Steve?”

 

Despite his inner turmoil, a smile crept on his face. God. This boy had him wrapped around his little finger.

 

He opened his eyes and saw his godson standing on the top of the stairs, his turtle still in his arms, and he looked unsure if he was now allowed to come downstairs, shifting slightly from one foot the other.

 

“Hey bud, it’s high time you visit me at my apartment again, don’t you think? Why don’t we pack a bag and you come along for a few days, hm?”

 

Steve knew he didn’t really have to ask Tony if he wanted to come. He always wants to. And the happily exclaimed “Yay!” was confirmation enough, not to mention the exited up and down jumping, which graced him suddenly with horrifying visions of Tony falling down the stairs, so he hurried up and ushered the boy to his room to pack his red and gold backpack. 

 

It didn’t take them long to gather some clothes and some things for Tony to play with, and soon they were downstairs again, almost ready to leave.

 

“Why don’t you go on and tell Jarvis that you won’t be here for some time?” Steve nudged the kid in the direction of the kitchen, wanting to thank the butler as well for his watchful eye.

 

They were both stopped in their tracks by a voice from behind.

 

“Anthony.”

 

They turned around to find Howard standing in the hallway in front of his lab. Steve couldn’t help but think he looked kind of awkward. He crossed his arms and waited to see what the man wanted.

 

Tony felt a moment of hesitation, and he couldn’t help but look up to Steve, who gave him an encouraging nod in the direction of his father. So he made his way over to Howard.

 

“Yes, dad?”

 

The older Stark knelt down so he was eye to eye with his son. His eyes narrowed a bit when he saw the bruised eye and he even reached out to touch it guiltily, but when his son actually flinched back a bit and Steve took a step towards them, he quickly pulled back and begun to talk a bit nervously.

 

“I, uhm, I wanted to say that, uh, I’m sorry for…” God, since when did he lose his ability to talk? “I’m sorry…that you got hurt, I mean…yeah, sorry.”

 

Tony nodded slowly, “Okay…” he itched to go back to Steve, this was making him nervous, but, to his surprise, Howard continued.

 

“I thought, maybe, if you want to, you could show me this, uhm, robot of yours. When you come back, I mean.”

 

The five year old couldn’t help but frown a bit, his father had never approached him like that, and he really had to fight the urge to look back at his godfather, so he could tell him what to do. Finally, he nodded again when Howard kept looking at him expectantly.

 

“Yes, I-I would like that.”

 

If he wasn’t mistaken, Howard actually looked a bit relieved at his answer and he gave Tony a small smile before rising back to his feet.

 

“Good, that’s…good. Then go and enjoy your stay with your Uncle Steve.”

 

“Yes, sir.” Glad that this awkward moment was over, he darted back to Steve and grabbed his bag hand in his. Steve smiled down at him and gave his hand a little squeeze.

 

“Go see Jarvis now, Tones.”

 

“Okay” Tony smiled, feeling the joy at going away with Steve return again.

 

“Jarvis!” he shouted already, as he started to run to the kitchen.

 

Steve watched him run away and then turned back again to see Howard still standing at the door.

 

The two looked each other in the eyes for a moment, neither seemed to be sure what to say. Finally, Steve just gave a small nod, he didn’t smile and didn’t care to be really friendly towards Howard just yet.

 

“It is a start.” He said, and then just turned to go to the kitchen as well.

 

Again, Howard watched him leave, then nodded to himself and went back into his office.

 

***

 

“…have enough clothes? You should have called me to help put together your bag.”

 

Steve grinned when he came into the room and hearing Jarvis already fussing.

 

Tony sighed dramatically, “Of course I do. I’m not a kid no more, and Uncle Steve helped me to pack.”

 

“Alright then.” The butler smiled kindly down at his littlest Master. “Enjoy your time with your Godfather, young sir.”

 

“Thank you.” Tony grinned, and no one was surprised when he threw his little arms around Jarvis waist to hug him goodbye. The butler was the one he spend the most time with at home after all.

 

“Now, now. Let’s not get sentimental.” Jarvis said fondly, and patted Tony’s small back as well.

 

Tony let go and turned to Steve. “Ready to go, Uncle Steve!”

 

“Alright, then go get your coat, I’ll be right there.”

 

“But I’m not cold!” he frowned, “I don’t need one.” This earned him a raised eyebrow from both his butler and his godfather, so he quickly relented.

 

“Going to get my coat, right. See you Jarvis!” And just like that the little whirlwind was out the door, leaving the adults chuckling.

 

“I just wanted to thank you, Mr Jarvis, before we leave, for you know…” Telling on his boss and sticking Captain America on him wasn’t really complimenting on his job, he didn’t want Howard to get a whiff of this and get the butler in trouble or something. “ being here for Tony when I can’t be.” He said, and held out his hand to the older man.

 

“Just doing my job, Captain Rogers.” Jarvis nodded, but accepted the handshake.

 

“Of course.” Steve smiled. And with a final squeeze, let go to join Tony. “Until next time, Mr Jarvis.”

 

“Always a pleasure, sir.”

 

At the door, Tony was already waiting, coat and shoes on and bag on his back.

 

“Ready to go, sport?” he asked while already opening the door, seeing that the boy was more than ready.

 

“Of course. You are the one dawdling.” Tony grinned cheekily.

 

“Oh sure, blame it on the old man.” He said and swung the giggling kid up on his shoulders, holding onto his legs to steady him up there.

“Your not old.” His godson laughed. “Hey, Uncle Steve, can we go to the park again? I met this boy there last time, his name is Bruce, maybe he’ll be there again! And can we draw some more? And…”

 

This, Steve thought as he started to walk, is more like he wanted to spend his time away from the fighting. And despite all, at least in the end Howard made an effort, which the soldier never dared to hope.

He wasn’t so naïve to think everything would be right as rain, and Howard would be the perfect father now.

Surely he’ll still work to much, but as long as he _never_ hit Tony again and actually made time for his son, this could work out.

 

Tony seemed to have finished his monologue and Steve felt his cheek on the top of his head.

 

“I love you, Uncle Steve.”

 

Yeah. Time would tell how Howard would play his cards now. But the Captain was sure he would keep his godson close.

 

“I love you too, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


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